Balance starter mechanism



Sept. 1, 1953 1 NEGRE 2,650,468

BALANCE STARTER MECHANISM Filed June 22, 1951 llllll INVENTOR. LOUIS DE NEGRE ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 1, 1953 BALANCE STARTER MECHANISM Louis De Negre, New Haven, Conn., assignor to The New Haven Clock and Watch Company, New Haven, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application June 22, 1951, Serial No. 232,977

9 Claims. 1 The present invention relates to a horological mechanism and more particularly, to a movement starter therefor.

In time pieces, particularly those having a balance wheel, often when the mainspring is Wound,

' timer.

However, when the timing unit cannot be shaken or readily moved as when it forms part of a clock or is fastened to a wall, control panel and the like, or assembled in a thermostatic timer or similar instrument, some means for starting movement of the timer must be provided since the fixed position in which it may be found will not permit, by extraneous means, such as by shaking or tapping, starting movement of the time mechanism.

The present invention therefore contemplates the provision of a means for spontaneously or automatically and positively starting operation of the mechanism of a time piece upon wind- 7 ing it.

The movement starter for a mechanical clock or watch movement here contemplated, sweeps the balance wheel upon winding the mainspring so that it is quickly and positively moved and thereby caused to operate so that automatic and spontaneous starting of the mechanism is accomplished.

These, other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be clear from :the description which follows and the drawing appended thereto, in which Fig. l is a plan view of a timing mechanism embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, the wind shaft being broken away to shorten the drawing,

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the device of Fig. 1, the wind shaft being broken to shorten the drawing,

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of the starting lever travel and the relation of the lever to the wind wheel and balance wheel, the normal or neutral position of the lever being shown in full lines.

Referring now to the drawing, only so much of my invention as is needed for a full understanding thereof is shown, it being understood that the mechanism is mounted in a casing therefor. I

The timing mechanism is wound by turning the main wind shaft ID in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, by means of the knurled knob [2.

The main wind shaft Ill is secured to the main winding wheel M on which the starting stud or pin l 6, to which further reference will be made, is mounted.

The main winding wheel I 4 engages the undercut wind pinion 18, the shaft 20 of which is fixed to the plate or disk 22.

The mainspring 24 is secured at one end to the shaft 20 and at the other end to the main wheel 26.

The mainsprin arbor 28 is mounted on the lower plate or disk 30 and carries the ratchet wheel 32.

It is only necessary to describe this much of a conventional winding means or mechanism for an understanding of my invention, which forms no part thereof except as necessary to its combination and function therewith, it being recognized that the mainspring 24, which operates the horological mechanism, is wound by turning the winding shaft Ill.

The movement starter lever, generally indicated by the reference character 33 and with which my invention is concerned, is provided with the starting arm 34 which is mounted on the bushing 36, the starting lever stud 38 being fixed to the plate or disk 40.

Extending at right angles thereto, 1 provide the starting finger 42 on the arm 34, which is thus L-shaped.

Referring now to Fig. 4, the main wind wheel I4 is rotated in a clockwise direction until the starting stud or pin it engages the starting finger 42 which extends in the path of rotation of the pin or stud when the starting arm 34 is positioned in its normal or neutral position, illustrated by the unbroken lines in Fig. 4.

The starting lever 33 is supported for oscillation to function as will be described on the suspension means formed by the bushing 36.

The starting lever 33 is held in the normal or neutral position illustrated by means of the spring 44 one end of which is affixed to the ear 46 extending to one side of the point of suspension of the starting lever 33 and the other end of which is amxed to the stud 50 on the plate or disk 22.

It should be noted that the ear 46 is relatively small in comparison to the length of the arm 34, the point of suspension 48, as illustrated in Fig.

a, being at one end of the arm 34 and to the left of the center of rotation of the main wind wheel [4.

The starting lever spring 52, which is bent downwardly at right angles to form the sweep 53, which is wiped across the periphery of the balance wheel 54, as the arm 3 1 is rotated about its point of suspension 58 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 4. The starting lever spring 52 is mounted on the starting lever arm 3 4 by means of the studs 56 and 58.

The balance wheel 56 is provided with the conventional regulator In operation (see Fig.4.) upon windin the time piece, the main wind wheel is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in that figure, and the starting stud or pin is moved, for example, from the position A to the position B where it strikes and engages the finger 52 which has been moved and held in the path of rotation in the normal or neutral position of the starting lever 33 by means of the spring 54.

Further rotation of the wind wheel It moves the starting pin or stud it; to position C and carries the finger 42 along with it. This rotates the starting lever 33 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4, about its point of suspension dB and brings the sweep 53 into engagement with the periphery of the balance wheel 53. moving it also in a counterclockwise direction about the center of the shaft Gil.

Further winding of the wind wheel moves the starting pin or stud l8 beyond the position C where it clears the startin finger 52 at the point of engagement to thereby release the starting lever 33, which is returned to its normal or neutral position by the spring 34.

The sweep 53 is thereby brought back to normal position and disengages the periphery of the balance wheel El i, which movement now rotates the balance wheel in a clockwise direction, commencing its oscillation.

On the return of the man winding wheel M, the starting st d or pin is will again trip the starting finger 32 at the point of engagement but on the curvilinear or cam side 62 thereof with m ch less travel of the lever 3 than in the initial startin Such action is due to a curvlinear or cam surfa e on the reverse side of the finger and to the i location 0 the center of suspension 48 of the st rt ng lever 33, which is below the centers of the main win wheel is and balance wheel 54 and to the left of ea h, as viewed in Fig. 4.

The for e o inertia imparted to the balance w ee bv the s dden. disengagement of the stud or p n is and. the finger d2 as the w nd wheel M c tin es in its th of rotation. sets the balance wheel 4 to osci lating, the mainsnring 2'3 supplying the necessary po er to keep the balance wheel in oscillating condition.

It will now be apparent that I have provided a starting movement or mechan sm which will spontaneously or automatically impart to the balance wheel of a timing device an initial oscillation which is thereafter continued by the mainspring upon winding it thereby eliminating the necessity of imparting such oscillation manually.

Although the details of construction and the action just described are preferred and recommended, it will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that these may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I therefore do not intend to be limited to the specific disclosure but claim any obvious modifications which may be made to the broad idea.

I claim:

1. In a timing mechanism; a winding means including a wheel mounted for manual rotation in the mechanism; a starting stud extending up from the wheel; a balance wheel mounted for oscillation; a starting lever mounted on a suspension means and comprising an arm extending in one direction from the suspension means toward the periphery of the balance wheel, a lug extending in the opposite direction from the suspension means, a starting finger extending outwardly from the starting lever at the suspension means and normally positioned in the path of the manually rotated wheel and a starting lever spring on the arm for frictionally engaging the periphery of the balance wheel upon the movement of the starting lever about the suspension means upon engagement of the starting finger by the starting stud, by manual rotation of the wheel; and a spring secured to the lug in straight line alignment with said lug and arm of said starting lever, for returning the starting lever to normal position upon disengagement of the finger by the starting lug.

2. A movement starter for a timing mechanism comprising a starting lever mounted in the mechanism, means for disposing said lever in normal position in the mechanism, a balance wheel mounted for oscillation in said mechanism, spring means on the starting lever and perpendicular to the plane of movement thereof for engaging said balance wheel upon moving said starting lever from normal position, winding means in the mechanism and having an element for engaging the lever to move said lever from normal position whereby said engaging means sweeps the balance wheel to move it upon winding said winding means, said element disengaging said starting lever upon continued winding of the winding means whereby said starting lever is returned to normal position and the balance wheel is disengaged by said engaging means thereby causing said balance wheel to oscillate and means for returning said starting lever to normal position upon disengagement of the starting lever by the said element, said means including a tension spring extending oppositely with respect to said starting lever when the latter is in normal position a the axis of rotation of the winding means,

3. In a timing mechanism, a balance wheel, a winding mechanism, a starting lever in normal position, a balance wheel sweep on the starting lever and perpendicular to the plane of movement thereof, a finger extending from the lever normally in the path of movement of the winding means, and an element on the winding means for engagement of the finger whereby said lever is moved from normal position to bring the sweep across the periphery of the balance wheel and means for returning said lever to normal position upon disengagement of the finger and the lever by sequential continued winding of the winding means.

4. The timing mechanism of claim 3, said finger being straight on the side in the path of movement of the winding means and being curved on the opposite side.

5. In a timing mechanism, a balance wheel, a winding mechanism, a stud in the winding mechanism, balance wheel starting means, resilient means for holding the balance wheel starting means in normal position and attached to an ear extension of the said balance wheel starting means and in line therewith, said stud engaging said balance wheel starting means upon winding of the winding means to move said starting means from normal position in opposition to the resilient holding means, continued winding of the winding means disengaging the stud from the starting means and a balance wheel sweep on said starting mean engaging and disengaging said balance wheel upon movement of the starting means from and return to normal position.

6. The timing mechanism of claim 5, said starting means having a finger extending outwardly at right angles thereto in the path of movement of the winding means for engagement and disengagement thereby.

7. The timing mechanism of claim 5, said starting means having a finger extending outwardly at right angles thereto in the path of movement of the winding means for engagement and disengagement thereby, said finger having a straight side facing said winding mechanism and a curved cam surface on the opposite side.

8. In a clock, timing starter mechanism consisting of a lever arm, pivotally suspended near one end thereof, a short projection of said lever arm on the other side of said pivotal point, a spring attached to said short projection and to the clock, a starting finger perpendicular to said lever arm and having one rounded edge and one straight edge, a spring attached perpendicularly to said lever arm at its end and capable of moving in a plane perpendicular to that of the plane of movement of said lever arm, the inside surface tangentially contacting the periphery of the balance wheel.

9. The combination of claim 3, and a stud mounted on the main winding wheel, which on rotation strikes said starting finger on its straight edge.

LOUIS DE NEGRE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,239,095 Floussfisch Sept. 4, 1917 1,585,806 Watson May 25, 1926 1,865,965 Ruiz July 5, 1932 1,869,519 Smith Aug. 2, 1932 2,302,260 Rothwell et al Nov. 17, 1942 

